The coat of arms of Quebec (armoiries du Québec) was adopted by order-in-council of the Government of Quebec on 9 December 1939,[1] replacing the arms assigned by royal warrant of Queen Victoria on 26 May 1868.[2]
| Coat of arms of Quebec | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Versions | |
.svg) 1868–1939 | |
| Armiger | Charles III in Right of Quebec |
| Adopted | 1939 |
| Shield | Tierced in fess, Azure three fleurs-de-lis Or, Gules a lion passant guardant, and Or a sprig of three maple leaves Vert |
| Motto | Je me souviens (French for 'I remember') |
| Other elements | Tudor Crown |
| Earlier version(s) | Or on a Fess Gules between two Fleurs de Lis in chief Azure, and a sprig of three Leaves of Maple slipped Vert in base, a Lion passant guardant Or |
Symbolism
editThe shield is divided into three horizontal fields:
- Top – three gold fleurs-de-lis on a blue background, symbolizing royal France;
- Middle – a gold lion passant guardant on a red background, symbolizing the Kingdom of England;
- Bottom – three green maple leaves on a gold background, symbolizing Canada.
The shield is surmounted by the Tudor Crown and accompanied by a silver scroll bearing the province's motto, Je me souviens (French for 'I remember').
Blazon
editThe blazon is:
- Tiercé en fasce; d'azur, à trois fleurs-de-lis d'or; de gueules, à un léopard d'or, armé et lampassé d'azur; d'or, à une branche d'érable à sucre à triple feuille de sinople, aux nervures du champ. Timbré de la couronne royale. Sous l'écu, un listel d'argent bordé d'azur portant la devise JE ME SOUVIENS du même.
- Tierced (divided in three parts, horizontally) in fess, Azure three fleurs-de-lis Or, Gules a lion passant guardant, and Or a sprig of three maple leaves Vert; Motto: JE ME SOUVIENS.[3]
History
edit
Arms were first granted to the province in 1868 by Queen Victoria. They were blazoned as follows:
- Or on a Fess Gules between two Fleurs de Lis in chief Azure, and a sprig of three Leaves of Maple slipped Vert in base, a Lion passant guardant Or.
However, in 1939, the Quebec government adopted arms by order-in-council, replacing the two blue fleurs-de-lis on the golden field with the royal arms of France Modern in chief. Quebec is the only Canadian province to have adopted arms by its own authority.[1]
The federal government is inconsistent in the use of the two variants: it often uses the 1939 variant, but in some cases, such as on the Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill and the badge of the Royal 22e Régiment, it uses the 1868 variant.
Notes
edit- ^ a b Justice Québec. Les armoiries du Québec Archived 14 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Royal Heraldry Society of Canada: The Four Founding Provinces". Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2008.
- ^ "Province of Quebec". Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges of Canada. Official website of the Governor General. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
References
edit- Gouvernement du Québec. "Les armoiries du Québec", in the site Drapeau et symboles nationaux of the Government of Quebec, updated on 14 January 2008
- Luc Bouvier. "Les armoiries du Québec d’hier à aujourd’hui", in L'Action nationale, February 1999.
- Gaston Deschênes (1990). Les symboles d'identité québécoise, Québec: Publications du Québec, 39 pages ISBN 2-551-14189-3
External links
edit
Media related to Coats of arms of Quebec at Wikimedia Commons- Ministère de la Justice – Armoiries du Québec (in French)
